Artist Academy

This week’s episode of the Artist Academy Podcast is a replay from a few years back with South Carolina muralist Randall Kane, brought to you as part of May Mural Month—a month packed with mural interviews, book chapters, and all the inspiration you need to fuel your summer painting hustle.

I was actually having a bad day before I sat down to interview Randall, yet you’d never know it, because I instantly fed off his energy and turned positive. I hope this chat does the same for you today.

We talked about trying many different routes to make money as a creative, a different perspective on pricing, and what it’s like to paint murals around snakes. I’ll let him explain.

Let me know what you think of this replay episode with the one and only Randall Kane!

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www.MuralMoney.com

This week on the Artist Academy Podcast, I’m sharing the behind-the-scenes struggles that come with running a mural business—specifically the stress and burnout that can sneak up on you when you're trying to do all the things.

From overbooking to underpricing to saying “yes” way too often, I’ve been there. In this episode, I’m talking about how I learned (sometimes the hard way) to set boundaries, raise my rates, and prioritize my mental health—without letting clients down.

If you’ve ever felt stretched too thin or afraid to say no, this episode is your reminder that protecting your peace is part of the job.

This week on the Artist Academy Podcast is a replay episode featuring Cleveland, Ohio-based muralist Lisa Quine.

I really enjoyed my chat with Lisa. She has this positive, honest energy that comes from someone who’s just come out of the thick of building her business—having figured out so much already, while still growing and evolving.

We talked about her unique pricing strategy and how it became her standard approach after years of experience. We even unexpectedly got into the topic of juggling work with new motherhood—a recent favorite of mine—when I realized she was expecting a baby at the time.

I hope you enjoy this replay episode with Lisa Quine!

In this episode of the Artist Academy Podcast, I’m sharing practical strategies to help you get started with murals and land your first job. If you're looking to build your portfolio and gain experience, here's what you need to do:

Paint a mural on your wall (or a friend or family member’s wall) of a design you LOVE and want to be hired for again and again.

Take a well-lit photo of the finished product (with you in the photo!!) and edit it to make it as beautiful as it is in person. I often adjust the saturation, contrast, and make the whites WHITE with editing.

Post that photo in 10 different niche Facebook groups with a simple caption like “I painted this today and enjoyed every minute of it.”

Check your inbox—especially your spam or requests folder—for inquiries. Ask the customer to CALL you (or you call them) for details and pricing.  (This step is very important.)

Most artists won’t even do step 1. Don’t be like most artists and wait for someone to hire you for your dream job—paint your own luck. 

For more in-depth tips, grab a copy of my book Mural Money, where I lay out the full roadmap for turning mural art into a thriving business!

This week’s May Mural Month replay episode on the Artist Academy Podcast features the social media-famous international muralist, Kiptoe.

I knew this guy had a ton of Instagram followers (285k), even more fans on YouTube (823k), and plenty of experience under his belt. But what I didn’t know about Kiptoe was that his hustle game is next-level—and that he started traveling the world independently in his 20s, building his brand from the ground up.

He’s a great example of an artist who took the time to get really good at his craft, then pitched himself (and still continues to pitch today) to clients to land the mural jobs he wants.

This dude needs no further introduction—and I know you’re going to feel seriously inspired by this week’s episode with Kiptoe.

This week's episode on the Artist Academy Podcast is all about mural meetups—what they are, how I plan them, and why they’ve become one of my favorite ways to mix art with adventure.

I’m sharing stories from recent trips to Florida, Costa Rica, Mexico, Barcelona, and St. Croix, where I teamed up with other artists to paint murals in exchange for accommodations (yes, you can trade your talent for a tropical stay :palm_tree::art:).

We’ll dive into how I find these opportunities—spoiler: Facebook groups are gold—and the real talk about what can go wrong, from flaky hosts to surprise logistical curveballs. Plus, I’m breaking down what I’ve learned from each experience to help you plan your own paint-and-travel adventure.

If the idea of creating art in a beautiful location with like-minded artists lights you up, this episode is for you.

Wanna join the Missouri Mural Meetup? 👉 artistacademy.co/muralmeetupinfo
Grab your discounted flights at: https://goingwith.me/bx26dns2

This week’s episode on the Artist Academy Podcast breaks down the results of my recently completed $100K in 100 Days Challenge.

Saying “yes” to this challenge pushed me to think outside the box, and it paid off big time. I ended up making over twice as much as I ever have in the first quarter. I’m spilling all the details—from the unexpected wins to the strategies that actually worked.

We’re talking Google searches, reactivating old connections, staying consistent on social, and a whole lot of focused energy. I’ll also share the mindset shifts that helped me stay on track without burning out.

Listen for the final dollar amount, the work it took, and everything that happened behind the scenes. P.S.

Wanna join the Missouri Mural Meetup? 👉 artistacademy.co/muralmeetupinfo

This week's episode on the Artist Academy Podcast is all about the power of practice.
I’m sharing how I’ve spent over 20,000 hours painting—and why that one thing has made the biggest difference in my skills and career.

From my early college art classes to those 60+ hour weeks painting for Bass Pro Shops, I dive into the moments that helped me grow the fastest. I also talk about the value of guided instruction versus going it alone, and how hitting that 10,000-hour mark changed my confidence and speed with a brush.

If you’ve ever wondered what it really takes to level up as an artist, this episode is for you.

This week's episode on the Artist Academy Podcast is all about working smarter, not harder, in your art business. We’re diving into the power of the 80/20 principle and how focusing on a few key actions can lead to major results. 

I’m sharing why you don’t need to post daily to stay relevant online—sometimes, one solid post a week is more than enough. I’ll also break down how attending a single networking event each month can lead to unexpected mural opportunities. Then we’ll get into how I pitch mural ideas to business owners using simple mock-ups that help them visualize the final result—and say yes. 

Let’s simplify the hustle and make your efforts count this year!

This week's episode on the Artist Academy Podcast is all about the business of live wedding painting with Stephanie Gaffney. 

Stephanie shares how she built a thriving career painting weddings live, charging $5,000+ per piece—far above the national average. She dives into her marketing strategies, from leveraging social media and SEO to growing her reputation through word-of-mouth.

We also discuss the backend of her business, including how she uses Honeybook to streamline client communication, contracts, and payments. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Stephanie and how her journey inspires your own art business!